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Posted on Nov 15, 2008

Strings are very far away from the last frets on the neck...

My son has an epiphone "dr" acoustic guitar. loves it except for the space between the strings and last frets on neck (hard to press strings down on those frets). was told to sand down part of bridge to bring strings closer to neck....but we spotted an allen wrench nut just inside the sound hole that is just underneath where the neck connects to the body. what does this nut do? would adjusting the nut help solve our problem?
nick fray

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  • Posted on Nov 15, 2008
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Sometimes the truss rod (nut you are referring to) will do the trick. The truss rod runs under the fingerboard and allows you to give the neck relief or tension. Some truss rods are dual action but I'm guessing yours is designed simply to give basic relief of the neck. I would make sure the truss rod is adjusted properly before sanding down the saddle. If you sight down the neck you should be able to see the relief in the neck - just use the string as your straight-edge. Most guitars need a slight amount of relief but higher-end guitars can be almost straight (better fretwork.) Once the neck has been adjusted correctly you can move forward with the setup.

Make sure the nut is also the proper height. If the nut is too low (1mm height between bottom of string and first fret) you should get it replaced by someone capable of doing such a thing. If the nut height is okay I would suggest moving forward cautiously by sanding the bottom of the saddle. Make sure this is done patiently and carefully as it can drastically change the sound and playability of the guitar. Hardly any material needs to be taken off to lower the action just a little. Error on the side of not-enough than too much. Make sure the bottom of the saddle remains flat! If the bottom isn't flat the guitar can sound horrible and if there is an undersaddle pickup it might not pick up evenly. The easiest way to do so is to tape some sandpaper rough side up on a flat surface (just don't pick something like mom's heirloom or something important in case it gets scratched.

If you'd like more detail check out http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/Repairs2.htm

Good Luck!

A

Anonymous

I am trying to id my guitar body, it look like a Fender stratocaster and has no neck, in the neck pocket it has stamped F.P.S 1 MAY 2010 29541350 do you know what F.P.S stands for i have to try and track a neck down for this guitar hence i have no seriel number

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Related Questions:

0helpful
2answers

My Alvarez guitar model RD-30SC N the strings buzz when I play. Is this easy to fix?

Strings buzzing can either be the action being set too low, or the frets needing dressing or the neck not having enough relief or being actually warped. We can't tell from here.

https://acousticlife.tv/fix-your-acoustic-guitar-buzz/

https://acousticguitar.com/ask-the-expert-why-is-my-guitar-buzzing/

Learn how to adjust the truss rod in your guitar, if you can. That's the easiest fix that does not involve specialized tools, filing frets, or disassembly. You may need to buy or borrow a long hex driver to reach the truss rod adjusting nut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyqrSRI2asc&feature=youtu.be&list=UUM-CsUeK57J8grv9BSBRRhQ
If it is a simple relief problem, that may fix it.

Adjusting the height of the bridge requires taking out the bridge and shimming it, which involves some woodworking skills (unlike an electric guitar where you can adjust bridge height and intonation with screwdrivers and or hex wrenches)

https://www.haloguitars.com/store/blog/what-causes-fret-buzz-and-how-to-fix-it/

https://breedlovemusic.com/acoustic-guitar-blog/how-to-fix-and-avoid-fret-string-buzz-on-a-acoustic-guitar

This should be possible to fix, depending on the cause, but because this is an acoustic guitar adjusting the action, frets and any major neck issues is a job that should be looked at by a qualified person. Keep in mind that your Alvarez is not a hugely valuable guitar, so you want to set a budget and get an estimate.
0helpful
1answer

Flat string sound

There are two ways you can fix this,
A. You can get a fret job done.
B. you can buy a new neck.
and
C. You can get the action adjusted.
0helpful
2answers

High action martin java mahogany 00x1

To lower the action on an acoustic guitar:

Usually just the saddle needs reducing.

1. Remove strings (or you may be able to just loosen them). Remove saddle, sand down the bottom a little at a time. Restring and check action.

The action can be set as low as poss without any fret buzzing or note choking on all strings and on all frets.

2. Repeat 1

If the action remains too high then there are other techniques.

Later ...
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1answer

MY EPIPHONE ACOUSTIC BUZZES ON 11TH FRET AND SOUNDS SAME NOTE ON 12TH FRET

This means the 12th fret is a bit too high. If you are not familiar with adjusting frets take it to any local guitar shop for repair.
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1answer

Which way do you turn a truss rod on a guitar

That depends on which way the neck is bent. Tighten if bowed away from the strings, loosen if bowed toward the strings. Go only a little at a time letting the neck settle as you go. If not familiar with the procedure you can cause damage to your guitar. I sugget taking it to the shop.
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Hi I have an Epiphone Dove and recently some frets have "died". Meaning they are not playable, instead of clear tones it makes a buzzing sound. I can solve the issue with a capo on the forth...

You should take teh guitar to a Luthier at a guitar repair facility. Either the frets are worn (visible) or possibly the truss rod needs adjusting. Both of these need a bit of proffessional attention. It sounds like your particular condition is probably the truss rod... also are you using the CORRECT tension strings for the instrument? Wrong or worn strings can be the problem!
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1answer

Buzz at the e6 string 11th fret

Have you changed strings on it? Old strings get worn spots in them from rubbing on the frets that will cause these type of symptoms. If you put new strings on and get the same issue, check your neck relief (the amount of bow in the neck) to do this, hold your low E string at the first fret, and at the 12th or 14th fret. The neck should have a slight bow in the middle that puts it between 1/16" and 1/8" or so away from your string. If it does not have enough bow in it, you can adjust the truss rod. Most guitars use an allen wrench for this, it will be inside the soundhole on an acoustic usually, and on an electric it is normally on the headstock under a cover. There are many how-to's online about adjusting a truss rod, the key is to do it very slowly, only do about a 1/2 turn a day, retune, check it again the next day. Loosen the truss rod to put more neck relief, tighten to straighten the neck. If this still doesn't fix you up, let me know, and I'll tell you where to go from there.
2helpful
3answers

Buzzing of strings in frets up to fifth fret; seems that the bridge may be low but it's not. Also, too there is more gain in high strings than the fifth and sixth

Sounds like a warped neck, if the bridge isn't low what else would cause the strings to buzz.? With the gain problem perhaps the neck is twisted as
well as bowed. Epiphone are proving to be quite popular but they are built to a price and for beginners they are usually a good choice. Unfortunately some fakes of different guitars are sold on ebay and they often make better tennis rackets than a musical instrument. Unless you changed them the guitar usually has a cheaper Humbucker pickup. Check it's fitting anf make sure there are no loose parts or wiring sitting against the soundboard on the inside.

Try looking down the neck of the guitar and seeif you notice any warp or bend. Overtightening the strings can cause the opposite warp and the strings end up further from the frets. Also try some measuring. The distance between the any string and the fretboard starting at the nut and working down to the bottom of the fretboard. These measurements should be consistant
Also, check the nut to see if the grooves aren't too deep. This could cause buzzing by allowing less distance between the string and the first fret.

Make sure all the frets are seated correctly and not slightly out of kilter at one end.

That should give you enough to keep you busy for a while. There are plenty of reasoins why a string will buzz. I've covered a few mecanical ones but without sounding rude there are also player caused buzz. Depressing the string too far behind the fret can cause it whereas too close to the fret can kill the note. But that's not my field in this situation. Check all the above and then try your fingering. One way or the other that buzz will stop. The best way to check if it's you is to get someone else to try your guitar out and see if the buzz buzzes off :-)

good luck
1helpful
2answers

Truss rods and dead frets- how do I adjust the guitar so the strings are close to the neck without getting dead frets?

I own an Epiphone Casino and if I needed to adjust the truss rod I would take it to a luthier (stinged instrument repair person). There is a good write up on it here. http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/trussrods.htm

Hope this helps.

Bob
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